Whole blood can be collected from a donor and processed into different products. The collection and separation of blood typically has involved many steps as well as operator interaction.
Whole blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. Traditionally, these components were separated by a batch process in which a blood bag was spun for a period of approximately 10 minutes in a large refrigerated centrifuge. After centrifugation, the main blood constituents, red blood cells (erythrocytes), platelets and white blood cells (leukocytes), and plasma sedimented and formed distinct layers. These constituents were then expressed sequentially by a manual extractor in different satellite bags attached to the primary bag.
More recently, automated extractors have been introduced. Nevertheless, the whole process remains laborious. There remains a widespread need for an apparatus that will automatically separate the different components of whole blood efficiently and easily.